I’ve been sort of itching to give my blog a facelift for the last few months. The dark theme I had going was nice, but it was sort of getting me down after the eternal winter we’re currently struggling through up here in New England. I’ve also been itching to sort of flex my graphic design muscles, which gave me a nice opportunity to make a real logo for the blog.

I’m planning on slowly phasing out my old graphics with upcoming reviews and posts (the bokeh banner I had that surrounded each featured photo) so the makeover isn’t totally complete, but I’m excited for the change. Let me know what you think of my new logo art in the comment section below.

I’m also planning on getting more active on the blog in the coming weeks with book tags. I’ve been blogging for over a year now and I’ve never participated in a book tag. I’m cursed with an introvert’s guilt in that I feel bad about tagging anyone in a tag if they don’t want to be – I hate feeling like I could be annoying anyone! – so I might not tag anyone directly in at least the first few I do, but anyone is always welcome to participate of course.

1. Find a book for each of your initials

B – Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
P – Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda
G – Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes – I knew keeping this on my bookshelf would come in handy some day!

2. Count your age along your bookshelf: What book is it?

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard III – The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

My shelves are in desperate need of a reorganization. I definitely shouldn’t have made it to the Ms counting out my age (28) but I’d just thrown this book back onto a random shelf the other day after I snapped a photo of it, so them’s the breaks.

3. Pick a book set in your city/country

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

This was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be! I own a LOT of books set in fantasy worlds, or in the UK. 😂

4. Pick a book that represents a destination you’d love to travel to

I’m going with a weird choice and picking Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Side note about me: I’m obsessed with the show Doctor Who, and I’ve spent more time than I can count wishing that the Tardis was real, and that I was traveling all of space with the Doctor. Seeing Earth from space has got to be like #1 on my bucket list of things to do before I die.

5. Pick a book that’s your favorite color

Black and blue are my two favorite colors, so I’m picking both with The Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro and Daniel Kraus. Seriously, that cover is gorgeous and possibly my favorite on my bookshelf right now.

6. Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

If I was going with a pick from childhood nostalgia’s point of view, I’d pick all of the Harry Potter series, which are of course my favorites. As an adult blogger, my fondest reading experience thus far has been Circe by Madeline Miller. This was the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a long time.

7. Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

I’m going with a current read. I’m reading The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton. Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually enjoying it – but it’s a retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear, set in a high fantasy setting, so it’s been a really long read. There is a LOT of information to keep track of.

8. Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest accomplishment when you finish it?

Probably Words of Radiance or Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. They are by far the biggest books on my bookshelf! But I can’t even entertain the thought of starting them right now. I need a little bit of a Sanderson break for awhile!

And that’s all she wrote.

Like I said, I’m hesitant to tag anyone who might not want to complete this tag – but if you’d like to then go for it and link me to your post below so I can see it!

I really like how your logo turned out! And this tag was the first one I did too and I didn’t tag anybody for the same reasons 😂 then when I did tag people eventually, I got an overwhelmingly positive response from those who chose to do it. Don’t worry, if people don’t wanna do it they won’t! But those who do will be super grateful you nominated them 🙂

I’ve been sort of tempted to check out The Queens of Innis Lear since I love King Lear, but I’m not a huge high fantasy person so I’m a bit intimidated! I’ll wait to read your final assessment before I decide. And I’ve been wanting to do this tag, I may use this as an excuse to do it later today.

Awesome, Rachel! I’ll keep an eye out on your blog in case you do it. 🙂 And I am going to have a bit to say in my final review for The Queens of Innis Lear. It’s not a bad book by any stretch though. I think if you love King Lear, you probably will really enjoy it. 🙂

Okay but same. Finishing Stormlight Archive series is going to be the greatest moment of my life (I haven’t started it yet) because the tome-ness of it all is wowowowow. I’m just not the greatest with lengthy books; which is another reason why, despite people’s enjoyment (?) of Innis Lear, I saw the size and noped it so quickly hah.

YOUR BLOG LOOKS SO PRETTY OH WOW. i love the redesign! and also your photos are completely gorgeous too. to an unfair level. + as if you could ever annoy anyone with your tags!! but i totally understand the feeling ❤

This is a really interesting book tag, Bentley! As for Queens of Innis Lear.. I read about 50 pages and decided to set it aside. I liked what I read but the SIZE of it is like a giant pound cake and it is daunting. I do look forward to reading your review of it though!

Ohhh I really like this new logo, great job! And lovely answers for this tag, I am so in love with The Shape of Water’s cover, it is absolutely STUNNING. I hope you will have tons of fun doing tags and don’t you worry, you won’t annoy anyone, I’m sure people would be thrilled to be tagged by you 😀 x